The tone was positive. Ted offered only one author horror story. Compare that to an October piece in Gawker, where a trade house editor was much harsher on these craftsmen: "... authors are the craziest, meanest, strangest, cluelessest people you've ever met."
Don't ever imagine that applies to blog authors like myself. No way.
Ted's former publishing partner David Woodbury ("Savas Woodbury") tells an author story in his latest blog entry ... it would even scare Gawker's anonymous editor, if she were to read it.
I was recruited by one author to do some maps for his Civil War installment in the University Press of Kansas' Modern War Studies series, about 9 years ago. I spent whole weekends on three difficult maps, got them to the publisher on deadline, and never heard from the up-and-coming professor again—not even in response to my email informing him that they were delivered. Eventually the book came out. No mention of maps in the acknowledgments, no credit lines on the maps themselves. No simple "thank you" by email. I had offered to do them for free—for exposure in the university press world—so wasn't looking for payment. Just courtesy. I had to write to the publisher to get a copy of the book.How awesomely strange, mean, crazy and clueless. (Do you think this is a story about Earl. J. Hess, Craig Symonds, or Michael Fellman?)
